It's More Expensive To Do Nothing
In recent decades, the population of American prisons has risen precipitously, and along with it the economic burden on society. What is lost in this zeal for incarceration is a grasp of the social and financial advantages of remediation, a disconnect that fails not just offenders in need of rehabilitation but also the communities that rely on lawmakers to keep them safe. The math is staggeringly simple: It will cost $75,000 year if a nonviolent offender returns to prison, whereas $5,000 a year will help that individual lead a productive life outside.